Over the next few years, Atlas will use FuturePlus to manage, measure and better its social and environmental impact, rolling out best practice and more sustainable products, equipment and processes over 6,000 of its UK sites, supporting around 10,000 of its employees. The company’s ambition is to positively impact the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), focusing on how its business activities can benefit both communities and the planet.

Atlas is the UK’s fastest-growing, privately-owned facilities management company responsible for keeping corporate headquarters, sporting venues, industrial and manufacturing sites, schools, universities, hotels, and retail spaces clean, safe, secure, ventilated, and heated. Through FuturePlus, and in a move to positively contribute to the built environment sector, Atlas can now implement, track, and measure the sustainability of its entire operations, whilst ensuring that every part of its organisation is supported on the road to becoming more responsible. From its staff to suppliers, Atlas is using FuturePlus to bring everybody on the same page and move forward with purpose.

Alexandra Smith, Co-Founder and Partner at FuturePlus, comments: “Built environment is one of the key areas of growth here at FuturePlus, and we are passionate about working with companies like Atlas. Our technology, combined with our in-house sustainability expertise, enables us to help people weave sustainability into the fabric of their company and unify all stakeholders to see and achieve their ambitions. Atlas now has a great foundation and a clear plan on how to meet these ambitions across our core five themes, tracking and communicating their progress to keep everyone aligned. With governance at the heart of all we do, suppliers, partners, employees, and clients can be sure that Atlas is moving in the right direction with integrity and conviction.”

FuturePlus is on a mission to tackle the ongoing global emissions struggle the built environment sector faces. A recent report shared by the UN Environment Programme called out the sector for not being on course to reach decarbonisation by 2050. Built environment represents over 33% of global final energy use, generates nearly 40% of global energy-related GHG emissions and consumes 40% of global raw materials – of which 25% is fresh water. In Europe, it accounts for 40% of energy demand, of which 80% comes from fossil fuels. This makes the sector an area for immediate action, investment, and policies to promote short and long-term energy security.

David Tarbuck, Atlas Group Marketing and Communications Director, concludes: “We are committed to playing our part in making the planet a better place, just as we want to make buildings better places to be for our customers. We sit in a sector that has high demands on our planet’s resources and historically we know we have contributed to climate change. Therefore, we want to be proactive in addressing the UN SDGs and that’s why we are changing our approach to ESG.

“FuturePlus has helped us develop a strategy with clear actions on how to implement sustainability across the entire business and the communities we are in. We now understand where we are today versus the UN SDGs, and where we want to get to in the next 24 months. Specific things we are looking to manage and improve include transforming our recycling culture, reducing cleaning products that may harm aquamarine life, and implementing more energy-efficient HVAC plans (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning). FuturePlus has given us the confidence to communicate about ESG to our employees and suppliers on the measures we are taking to collectively improve our social and environmental impact. Importantly, we are also engaging with our clients to see how we can partner with them to make a bigger impact, with collaboration at the very centre of our approach.”

FuturePlus is helping Atlas supercharge its ESG by tailoring it to meet both business- and sector-specific goals, taking the company on a journey that applies the UN SDGs to real-life processes in a realistic and practical fashion. Atlas can continue to build on its commitment to sustainability by working towards common goals and tracking progress across FuturePlus’ five themes: climate, economic impact, diversity and inclusion, and environmental and social impact.